The Latin Scot

From blog.scoutingmagazine.org:

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2018/02/14/after-roaring-success-lions-will-move-from-pilot-to-full-time-part-of-cub-scouting/

Welcome to the forums! Glad to have you. 

Do I count as a Millennial if I was born in '83? 

I dunno, as a teacher I have to keep a sharp eye on my e-mails in case parents or administration has notifications that I need to be aware of - if I take longer than a day to reply to a message, there is always a dang good reason for it. So maybe that disqualifies me from being part of that generation, lol.

It was signed in DC, so Eastern time. Sorry, I forget that because I live in California, my 11:03 is different than yours. 

Happy Birthday BSA! Begun at exactly 11:03 am, February 8th, 1910. Here's to 108 more years of serving our nation and its youth!

I have sat at my computer for the last 15 minutes just to be sure I posted that at exactly the right time, lol.

I think this is wonderful! Congratulations Mr. Eugene Cerniglia!

Huh. I have never had a designated "snack time," and I haven't had a single comment made about it in the 2+ years I've been the Webelos Den Leader. 

Sure, every now and then I may have extra cookies that I share with them, or extra holiday candy or whatever, but it's never a regular thing, and if anything it makes the boys more eager to work for them whenever treats do somehow materialize. But nobody has ever asked about it, and I don't think it's something I would ever really consider, at least not for boy the age I'm working with. Besides we're usually up and doing so much that there just wouldn't be a convenient moment for them to stop and munch on snacks during meetings.  

Wow I thought this was a joke at first ... As a den leader, I would be appalled if I wasn't invited into the monthly committee meetings. In fact all parents, den leaders, and interested parties expected to be at our committee meetings, and we have a great program going. But I would hesitate to be part of any program where the den leaders, the very core of the Cub Program, are not welcome. 

Ah, the yearly meteorological meanderings of the marmota monax ...

Remind me why we  get six me weeks of winter if he sees his shadow - doesn't that mean the sun is in fact shining, which should be indicative of impending spring, yet an overcast sky means he doesn't see his shadow, and thus somehow, more winter? 

This is why I would never trust the weather with an overgrown rodent. 

I agree with the plaque idea; in fact the Scout Store offers a number of examples that would be perfect, appropriate gifts. Have it engraved with a lovely message and relevant information regarding his tenure, and it would be just the thing. 

Regardless of whether it's entirely appropriate or not, I feel a gift card is the gift that says you don't know me. A nice plaque or even a statuette is a dignified memento he can put among his personal effects in a place of honor. I would go with that if possible.

Yes I do. Just as much as you do in fact, and your question, while rhetorical I assume, brings out an important point that must be made.

It is a bit condescending to imply that, if one really knew BP's writings (as you do), he would come to different conclusions than the ones I have drawn. You imply that you must have a broader knowledge of his works than I do. However, I have also read nearly all his writings available in the US, and a few still found only in Britain, so I'm afraid your attempt to undermine my comments by labeling them as "unique interpretations" cannot be based on a greater familiarity with his writings, nor on any other evident advantage of intellect or literacy - so it can only be based on the fact that you disagree, and so you want to dismantle the conclusions of my post by trying to show a superior understanding of the Scouting program than mine, made through a suggestion that what I got out of his works really wasn't important - it's really just knights and such, nothing important. Unfortunately that is not so. 

I have also read every edition of the Scouting Handbook (all of which I own), all of William Hillcourts writings, decades of manuals and fieldbooks and magazines and articles - yes, I understand what Scouting was meant to accomplish every bit as much as you do. 

And we disagree. And - that's okay, There will always be differences of opinion. But before we can find a place of accord where we can more forward, we have to find where we agree.

You did not, for example, seem to have read my post very carefully. I never said character was not important in the early days. I said that it has been emphasized far more now than it was before - and that has always been a changing feature of the program. For a few early decades the push was all about the outdoors and woodcraft (a term we never hear in Scouting anymore). Then there was a period where it seemed citizenship was the holy center of all things Scouting (oh those heady WWII years), and in the 70's there was that odd attempt to focus on skills of Scouting instead of the aims of Scouting. During all periods, the same things are taught and the same virtues are extolled, but with each new generation different aspects of Scouting seemed to capture the wants and needs of families.These days it's leadership and character development. But in the earliest days, frankly, much of it was "making boys into better men."

I see I received my first downvote ever for my last post. In a way, that makes me feel like I must have said something right. Nowadays, to claim that any activity, character trait, or quality of character is inherently masculine or feminine is anathema, and considered a dated concept. But I hold to the essential idea that men and women are different in fundamental ways, and that neither can reach its full potential without the other, because each is distinct from the other. Our complementary natures make us more than the sum of our parts.

Nowadays, that's going to be looked down upon as we gender-wash our programs. But the early leaders and founders would have taken those differences for granted. It's amazing that in these times, they have to be defended. Fortunately, I don't mind being unpopular for doing so. 

Just now, ItsBrian said:

Agreed.

 

Also, by “wanting to enjoy my time” , I meant that I don’t want any extra responsibility right now, or be expected to do a certain thing that is important when I’m busy with school right now.

Understood. That kind of focus will certainly be important after High School when you more on to any kind of university, college, or trade school setting!

2 hours ago, ItsBrian said:

I also want to actually enjoy my time before Eagle. I’m completely fine where I’m right now, I’m not going to wait 2 years and procrastinate. 

This is mildly amusing to me ... when you say "actually enjoy my time before Eagle," does that mean that most people ... don't? Or that somehow things will change after you earn it? Don't get me wrong, you have a lot going on in school, and you should definitely focus on that for the time being. But that's always the risk boys run with Scouting - every year they get even busier, and for too many boys, 18 comes before they know it and they are left with more hurdles than they expected when they actually get to the application process.

I was talking a few months ago with a 13 year-old Life Scout who was telling me a similar feeling he had; he said he was in no hurry to get his Eagle, and that he wanted to spend time enjoying Scouts before getting it done. The point I made to him then, which I make again now, is that this line of thinking wrongly implies that once the rank of Eagle is earned Scouting somehow "ends." Get your kicks in now Life Scouts, because once you get your Eagle the fun stops and the wilderness is closed and it's time for you to move on with your life! I more or less told him that if he quit Scouting as soon as he got to Eagle, he missed the whole point of it, regardless of how old he was. Fortunately he took those words to heart - he turned 14 last week, and his Eagle Court of Honor is this Friday.

You can and should be happy with where you are at, but at the same time, it does mean that you are choosing to wait before moving forward, which is by definition a degree of procrastination. It isn't saying whether it's good or bad or right or wrong - it's simply that for now, you are putting off your Scouting advancement, and will presumably get back to it at a later time. It is important to prioritize, and right now school comes out on top for you.

For that reason though, I would think it somewhat pretentious to put "Eagle candidate" on a resume. It comes off as an attempt to take advantage of the reputation of Eagle Scouts by stating, more or less, someday I might be one! or not, but still - hire me! The proper term for an Eagle candidate is a Life Scout, but it seems people just want employers to see the word EAGLE in hopes that it will give them some edge over other applicants. It would appear from past posts however that you are more than capable and experienced enough to put out a good resume already; you don't need to pad it by suggesting you are working to become something that, as of now, you are not. Later when you have completed the requirements and pass your Board of Review, you can definitively place "Eagle Scout" among the other honors and awards you have earned.

This is ADORABLE! Campy (tee hee!) as all get out, but I love it!

That is a good idea; I know getting leaders into our groups is like pulling teeth lately, but this is a situation where it would be HUGELY beneficial if somebody could step in to be his special mentor. I will put that idea forward; thanks @ItsBrian

Here is a link to the full announcement:

http://www.ocbsa.org/news/2018-insurance-fee-announcement/

Honestly, I have never heard of a "three meeting model" being pushed as essential. Perhaps if one felt beholden to the Den Leader Guides, but really, does any body really use them that much? I will occasionally glance through them for ideas, but I don't base my meetings off of them. 

I prefer to simply pull requirements from the book and go through them at meetings for as long as it takes or as long as the boys are interested. The problems I see with the "streamlined" versions are centered around two main issues. First, it can easily be looked at as a way to simply blast through the requirements with less effort, and frankly, doing an entire adventure in one meeting may be 'fun,' but from a realistic point of view, you just aren't going to teach boys the lessons and values of each adventure if you just fly through them one by one with only a meeting per topic. Boys need to be more invested in the subject matter, at least if your focus is on learning and not just advancement (and mind you, I am a HUGE proponent of the advancement system - just not like this). The other clue that indicates to me that this is only meant to push advancement instead of learning is the fact that ONLY THE REQUIRED ADVENTURES ARE INCLUDED. If this was really a pedagogical issue, then would not all the adventures have been included? Instead we only get shortcuts for the required adventures, which tells me there is another agenda behind this.

Secondly, after reading through the "streamlined materials," I came away more confused than encouraged. Some of them kind of come off as a Frankenstein monster, what with all the editing and highlights and cut-throughs and whatnot. It just looks like somebody hacked away at the guide to make it easier, but instead of cleaning up the mess, just left all the scraps there. It's sometimes very hard to read!

TO ANYBODY looking for a way to simplify their life - I recommend simply picking up the 2017 addendums for each rank (offered free at any local Scout Store or online), and using that to determine the requirements. Then for your activities, just go right out of the Handbook for each rank! There are already easy activities included for every one of them, and then the addendum will cue you in on which activities are still required vs. which ones are now optional. The Den Meeting lesson plans are too convoluted and dense for a practical meeting. Just go out of the book, and you'll be all set. That way you can focus on meaningful activities and learning, and not on trying to follow a rote plan that centers more on the meetings than the boys. Learning needs to drive advancement - not the other way around.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We have our den meetings the exact same time as his future troop meetings, so I have to plan carefully if I am to arrange any visiting by either the boy or his future leaders. They can't get me as an ASM either because of that time conflict.

My main concern is getting the future leader trained; he is very hands-off and somewhat distant with his boys (the running joke is that he always seems more dead than alive). This particular boy needs a leader who is going to be invested in his growth and progression, and I have a hard time seeing the leader give that. In fact he was one of my leaders back when I was a boy in the troop, and even then he was almost oblivious to whatever went on in the group. I want to be optimistic, but I have my reservations about the transition  ...

Aye ... ¡alboroté el avispero! 

Well, as Cervantes wrote, "la verdad adelgaza, y no quiebra ... siempre anda sobre la mentira como el aceite sobre el agua."

2 hours ago, Hawkwin said:

Perhaps share with them that a fee increase will be easier to stomach if it is spread out over every scout as eluded to in my "$2.80" comparison instead of concentrated on such a small and select group of exceptional scouts.

Heck, they could probably even just jack up the price of merit badges by $.050 and still generate the same amount of revenue.

Well, hence the Council's decision to add a $12 insurance fee to every participant's registration, starting with new members this year, and all members in 2019. I know there will still be angry voices complaining, but considering it's still only $45 per year, I think that's a fair alternative. Certainly preferable to charging the one group of boys we most want to keep!

2 hours ago, Hawkwin said:

Not any more. Didn't you hear that LDS is quitting scouts? Oh wait, that was another rumor.  

I'm about ready to go all Don Quixote on these darn rumor mills.  

9 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

Assuming this is true then the only reason I would exclude would be that I knew they were gonna leave anyway. Very interesting, if true.

Except that despite how desperately some people seem to wish it were true, the Church has no plans to leave Scouting at this time. Mercy, people just can't let this one go, lol.